In situ rejuvenation of contaminated mechanical filtration medium
OwnerJames W. Masten, Jr.inventor
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Abstract
An in situ system of filter rejuvenation can be applied to a mechanical filter passing fluid contaminated by chemical and particulate materials such that the filter removes the contaminants from the flow by trapping the contaminants in a filter medium. A non-combustive infrared heating system gasifies the trapped contaminants without combustion and without emissions to the atmosphere, restoring the efficacy of the filtration medium.
Claims20
A method for filtering a contaminated fluid and in situ rejuvenation of a filter medium, the method comprising:
- introducing a flow of the contaminated fluid into a reaction chamber comprising a filter medium and a first array of infrared heating elements separated from the filter medium by a first ceramic glass wall having a pass-band in the infrared spectrum;
- passing the contaminated fluid across the filter medium to remove contaminants from the contaminated fluid until the filter medium is loaded;
- stopping the flow of the contaminated fluid across the filter medium;
- heating the loaded filter medium by transmitting infrared energy from the first array of infrared heating elements through the first ceramic glass wall at a frequency within the pass-band of the infrared spectrum to volatilize the contaminants trapped in the loaded filter medium;
- collecting the volatilized contaminants;
- and
- re-introducing the contaminated fluid flow into the reaction chamber.
A method for treating municipal wastewater, the method comprising:
- receiving a flow of the municipal wastewater into a reaction chamber comprising a filter medium and a first array of infrared heating elements separated from the filter medium by a first ceramic glass wall having a pass-band in the infrared spectrum;
- passing the wastewater across the filter medium to remove contaminants from the wastewater until the filter medium is loaded;
- stopping the flow of wastewater across the filter medium;
- heating the loaded filter medium by transmitting infrared energy from the first array of infrared heating elements through the first ceramic glass wall at a frequency within the pass-band of the infrared spectrum to volatilize the contaminants trapped in the loaded filter medium;
- collecting the volatilized contaminants;
- and
- re-introducing the contaminated fluid flow into the reaction chamber.
A method for in situ rejuvenation of a filter medium, the method comprising:
- introducing a flow of contaminated fluid into a reaction chamber comprising the filter medium, a first array of infrared heating elements separated from the filter medium by a first ceramic glass wall having a pass-band in the infrared spectrum, and a second array of infrared heating elements separated from the filter medium by a second ceramic glass wall having the pass-band in the infrared spectrum;
- passing the contaminated fluid across the filter medium to remove contaminants from the contaminated fluid until the filter medium is loaded;
- stopping the flow of the contaminated fluid across the filter medium;
- heating the loaded filter medium by transmitting infrared energy from the first and second arrays of infrared heating elements through the first and second wall of the ceramic glass material at a frequency within the pass-band of the infrared spectrum to volatilize the contaminants trapped in the loaded filter medium;
- collecting the volatilized contaminants;
- and
- re-introducing the contaminated fluid flow into the reaction chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.